1. health and fitness
2. therapy

MERIDIAN WORLDWIDE
October 2011
Newsletter of the
International Acupuncture Association
of Physical Therapists
Editor: Charles Liggins
EDITORIAL (Charles)
The World Confederation of Physiotherapy held its four- yearly conference
which commenced on Monday 20 June. The main programme did not include
much subject matter related to acupuncture apart from some interesting
posters, but the International Acupuncture Association of Physical Therapy
(IAAPT) held meetings of interest. At the general meeting of IAAPT the
following committee was elected:
Chairman: Susan Putney, address 1320 Sunset Drive, RRs 1, Fort Erie, Ontario,
L2A 5M4, Canada. Phone 001 905 991 8188,
e-mail: [email protected]
Past Chairman: Karen Keith E-mail: [email protected]
Vice Chairman: Vacant
Secretary/Treasurer: Vacant. Temporarily: Lucy Ireland, 64B Gleniti Road.
Timaru 7910, New Zealand Phone: 64 3 686 2900, E-mail: [email protected]
Public Relations: Apostolos G. Kairis, 1 Parthenonos & Poseiddonos Ave.,
P.Faliro, GR- 175 52, Athens, Greece. Phone: 30 210 98 34 277, E-mail:
[email protected]
Education: Mary Pender, 4 Manor Street, Dublin 7, Ireland. E-mail
[email protected]
Research: Karen Keith, P.O. Box 6242, Dunedin North 9010
New Zealand Phone: 64 3 471 2247. E-mail: [email protected]
Newsletter: Charles Liggins, 31 Cunningham Road, Umbilo, Durban, 4001,
South Africa. E-mail: [email protected]
Dr Val Hopwood, 18 Woodlands Close, Dibden Purlieu, Southampton SO45 4JG,
England. E-mail: [email protected]
Committee Member: Sheila McNeill, Ballygawlly, Co Silco, Ireland. Phone 353
67 2459393. E-mail: [email protected]
WCPT Forum contact: Dr Val Hopwood. [email protected]
IAAPT BREAKFAST NETWORKING MEETING
This was held at 0700 on Wednesday 22 June, the meeting was chaired by
Karen Keith. There were 34 present.
Issues discussed
1. Does acupuncture need international standards for competency? How
can these be applied?
*How can we impose standards? Each country has regulations re needle
use. Some cannot use needles as acupuncture but can do only (either/or)
trigger point work or dry needling, wet needling (probably not
physiotherapists), meridian therapy, shiatsu work, only acupressure.
*Whatever we use needs to be evidence based.
*South Africa has a dual registration system for acupuncture.
*Maybe the standards should be called guidelines.
2. How do we impose evidence based practice?
*Keep on doing research.
*Publish case studies with references, discussion in Meridian Worldwide,
local publications (journals/newsletters).
*Have clinical guidelines but not recipes.
3. Scope of Application of Acupuncture
*Tricky with scope of application of PT but now we have special interest
groups of Women’s Health, Mental Health etc, does this endorse the use of
acupuncture for these areas rather than just for pain, musculoskeletal and
neuro?
*IAAPT exists to support and advocate, to help subgroups lobby their
national body to have conditions covered within the scope of practice.
Again evidence based practice is important.
*Use of dry needling/trigger point work and acupuncture per se needs to be
defined, to be evidenced to convince the regulators that we can do what
we do.
4. Training Standards
*Suggestion: A. Basic: musculoskeletal, pain management (Western)
B. More complex conditions
C. Advanced (more TCM training)
*Try to get some standardised hours for basic qualification amongst
physiotherapy acupuncturists, (again legislative/country differences).
5. What are the current barriers to acupuncture use in various countries?
*Legislation: Greece, Italy, Egypt, Holland, Venezuela. South Korea.
*The WHO Acupuncture Guidelines are not accepted in some countries
*IAAPT has a role to help countries to accept acupuncture.
PRESENTATIONS
During the Amsterdam conference IAAPT made presentations to two long
serving committee members, namely Karen Keith our outgoing Chair person
for all her hard work over the last few years, and Charles Liggins who received
congratulations on completing twenty years of dedicated service to the IAAPT
committee as editor of Meridian Worldwide.
~
Short Report from Val Hopwood
World Congress for Physical Therapy held in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jun 20th-23rd 2011
This was a typical WCPT conference in many ways. Now a veteran of at least
five of these four-yearly gatherings, I am used to the initially intimidating sheer
size. This conference lasted for three full days with a huge trade exhibition and
poster display area. It was attended by over 5,000 delegates. As is the way with
these things I met many old colleagues, some from the other side of the world,
representatives from the International Acupuncture Association of Physical
Therapists, (IAAPT), the acupuncture sub-group of WCPT and others from local
UK hospitals! The General Meeting was the largest ever, with 94 of the 106
member organisations in attendance and participating in decisions affecting
the profession globally, including the adoption of a range of new policy
documents.
The keynote presentations and large general meetings have been welldescribed elsewhere so I will consider only the lesser sessions. Most
importantly for acupuncture practitioners, the discussion meeting for IAAPT
was well-attended with 37 interested representatives of their respective
countries. A wide-ranging debate, considering safety issues, basic training and
future progress was held with chairmanship of the organisation now passing
from New Zealand to Canada for the next four years. News of IAAPT can be
found on the WCPT website in the Forums section. You do not have to be a
member to access and contribute to these discussions.
The list below is a personal selection of some of the posters containing the
word “acupuncture” and they proved to be a diverse and fascinating collection.
All of these will have subsequently have been published on the WCPT website
and will now be freely downloadable.
 COCHRANE SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS - ENABLING EVIDENCE-BASED
PHYSIOTHERAPY AFTER STROKE
Mehrholz J., Pollock A., Moseley A., States R.
Number: FS-4 Tuesday 21 June 2011 08:30 Physiotherapy Volume 97
Supplement S1
Acupuncture is listed among the modalities considered but no convincing
evidence is cited.
 DO SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF PHYSICAL AGENTS AND
PHARMACOLOGICAL AGENTS IN THE COCHRANE LIBRARY INTERPRET
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE DIFFERENTLY?
Bjordal J.M., Demmink J.H. (Bergen)
Number: RR-PL-3641 Tuesday 21 June 2011 16:00 Physiotherapy Volume 97
Supplement S1
Findings suggest that Cochrane review methodology is immature and that their
review conclusions should be interpreted with caution. Scientific evidence is
interpreted differently for physical agents and pharmacological agents in
systematic reviews in the Cochrane Library.
 THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE AS AN ADJUNCT TO
EXERCISE-BASED PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE
Whitehurst D.G.T., Bryan S, Hay E.M., Thomas E., Foster N. (Keele UK)
Number: RR-PO-202-28-Wed Wednesday 22 June 2011 13:00 Physiotherapy
Volume 97 Supplement S1.
This is the first UK cost-effectiveness study of acupuncture for OA and it
supports the addition of acupuncture to advice and exercise within
physiotherapy practice for the care of this patient group. Future clinical
guidelines will be able to use this evidence about
cost-effectiveness in making recommendations about the care of older adults
with knee osteoarthritis.
 EFFECT OF ACU-TENS ON VESTIBULAR FUNCTION
Jones A., Lai C.-H., Lam W. (Hong Kong)
Number: RR-PO-203-14-Thu Thursday 23 June 2011 13:00 Physiotherapy
Volume 97
Supplement S1
Results of this study suggest that Acu-TENS may be usefully employed to
improve balance in people with vestibular disorders. Clinical application of
Acu-TENS in patients with vestibular dysfunction warrants further
investigation.
 QUANTIFYING NEEDLE PLACEMENT FOR A SPECIFIC ACUPUNCTURE
POINT WITH RESPECT TO DE QI
Keith K., Johnson G. (New Zealand)
Number: RR-PO-203-3-Wed Wednesday 22 June 2011 12:00 Physiotherapy
Volume 97 Supplement S1
The traditional use of de qi is as a subjective indication for needle depth. This
novel research approach has important implications for understanding the
microanatomy of acupuncture points and possible mechanisms for activation.
Ultrasound has application in the research of the more superficially located
acupuncture points and has potential to be incorporated with doppler imaging
to better detail the neurovascular structures implicated in acupuncture.
 EXPERIENCES OF ACUPUNCTURE DURING AND AFTER TREATMENT FOR
MIGRAINE
Rutberg S., Öhrling K. (Luleå, Sweden)
Number: RR-PO-203-7-Wed Wednesday 22 June 2011 12:00 Physiotherapy
Volume 97 Supplement S1
Acupuncture treatment seems to relieve the consequences of migraine,
increase emotional strength and make it possible to live life to the fullest and
therefore it can be viewed as an alternative therapy for physiotherapists
treating persons with migraine. The patient- therapist relationship seems to
have importance for the experience of acupuncture and more research is
needed to fully understand its meaning.
 BLINDING EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PARK SHAM ACUPUNCTURE DEVICE
FOR THE UPPER AND LOWER LIMBS
Tan C.-W., Santos D (Edinburgh, UK)
Number: RR-PO-203-8-Wed Wednesday 22 June 2011 13:00 Physiotherapy
Volume 97 Supplement S1
This study showed that the Park sham device appears to be effective in
blinding the participants' between the real and sham needles in the lower limb
(Bladder meridian) but not for the upper limb (Triple Energiser meridian)
acupoints chosen for this study.
 PHYSIOTHERAPY MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS FOLLOWING NECK
DISSECTION FOR CANCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Overend T.J, Anderson C.M., Del Greco D.M., Mathews R.L., Potter N.K., Zhao
A.X. (Ontario Canada)
Number: RR-PO-210-25-Wed Wednesday 22 June 2011 12:00
Physiotherapy Volume 97 Supplement S1
There is evidence that progressive resistance exercise following neck dissection
increases ROM and decreases shoulder disability. Acupuncture may also be
effective in decreasing pain and dysfunction. More research is needed with this
population to further our understanding of the optimal physiotherapy
management of these patients.
 INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF PHYSIOTHERAPISTS USING ACUPUNCTURE
Hopwood V (UK)
Number: SI-PO-309-12-Wed Wednesday 22 June 2011 13:00
Physiotherapy Volume 97 Supplement S1
Nearly all of the 720 replies to the open question “what has acupuncture
added to your practice?” responded with variations on the theme of an
additional and effective modality to treat both chronic and acute pain. Given
the increasing and improving quality of acupuncture research; and the
popularity of this technique world-wide, it is reasonable to suggest that some
form of acupuncture training should be incorporated into orthodox
physiotherapy education.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr Val Hopwood FCSP
NEWS FROM THE ACUPUNCTURE AND DRY NEEDLING GROUP – AUSTRALIA
The Acupuncture and Dry Needling Group (ADNG) marks 2011 as its fourth
year as a National Group within the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
During 2011 group membership numbers have stabilized and the ADNG holds
its place as the fourth largest special interest group in the APA after the MPA,
SPA and PBA groups.
State chapters have now been established in Victoria, New South Wales,
Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. All states of Australia are
represented on the ADNG National Committee.
During 2010-2011 ADNG lecture evenings were held throughout Australia in
venues including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth and Adelaide.
Various APA Dry Needling and Western Segmental Acupuncture courses were
run in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and
Queensland in 2009. The Level 1 Traditional Acupuncture Course, which has
been taught with appropriate ongoing development since 1979, ran again in
Sydney in the early half of 2011.
Melbourne University and Griffin University continue to have Dry Needling
units of study included in their post-graduate Doctorate and Master’s
programmes respectively. Safety concerns continue to be reviewed by
representation on the APA and Guild Risk Management Committee.
The second ever ADNG two- day national conference will feature as part of the
2011 APA conference week in Brisbane at the end of October. The programme
consists of a combination of national and international speakers and covers
various presentation styles including lectures and workshops. Feedback from
the conference in 2010 indicated that it was a resounding success and we hope
to replicate this level of delegate satisfaction again. No doubt a positive aspect
of ADNG conference is the national and international relationships that are
formed between conference delegates and presenting physiotherapists and
medical practitioners specialising in the field of acupuncture and dry needling.
In the coming year the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia will be formally
established in July 2012. Presently the Australian Physiotherapy Council is
conducting a review of the requirement for physiotherapists and other allied
health and medical practitioners to become endorsed to use the title of
acupuncturist. The ADNG will be able to provide more information on the
regulation of physiotherapy acupuncturists in the 2012 IAAPT report.
Leigh McCutcheon ( Chairperson: APA ADNG)
~
NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA (Charles Liggins)
Our group (the Acupuncture in Physiotherapy Group of the South African
Society of Physiotherapy – APGSASP) remains in limbo with respect to basic
acupuncture training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Physiotherapists who practice acupuncture in the country (apart from being
members of the SA Society of Physiotherapy) are controlled by two Councils,
namely the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and the Allied
Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA). The latter council
controls long term training in acupuncture and state that aspiring
physiotherapy acupuncturists must do a full time degree course in the subject
(5 years!) at the University of the Western Cape. Obviously no physiotherapist
is prepared to go back to University for five years to become an acupuncturist.
In addition to this problem the AHPCSA has not approved the commencement
of CPD courses for any acupuncturists in South Africa, so those of us who want
to extend our knowledge in the subject cannot do so in this country. During the
last year the other council (HPCSA), in liaison with the SA Society of
Physiotherapy, gave approval for physiotherapists with appropriate training in
acupuncture to use it in their practice as long as it did not comprise more than
fifty percent of any treatment session. In one test case one of our members
who did the 80 hour basic course in the United Kingdom was certified as
having the appropriate training. Currently, as Chairman of APGSASP, I am
negotiating with the SASP to urge the HPCSA to allow us to commence CPD
courses in acupuncture and then to approve an eighty hour basic course
(similar to the one in the UK) to allow those physiotherapists, who wish to do
acupuncture, to include it in their practice. Currently it is a matter of ‘watch
this space!’
It is considered that, because of the above dilemma we have lost a large
number of members from our group. Our membership for 2011 is 67.
Phyllis Berger, one of the APGSASP committee members continues to make
valuable contributions to this newsletter. Last year she attended the 13th
World Congress on Pain held in Montreal, Canada. This is the world’s premier
conference devoted to research and treatment of pain. This is what she had to
say:
‘I was privileged to be invited to join the Scientific Programme Committee in
2008 for the above congress – it takes almost 2 years to prepare for the
congress. My first meeting was in Vancouver in 2009 where the plenary and
workshop/symposia were decided upon.
Prior to the meeting members had to investigate the best researchers and
speakers on their particular brief – mine being physiotherapy, acupuncture,
complementary medicine and musculo-skeletal medicine. We had to invite
these persons to submit their proposals and then evaluate their subject
matter. This involved months of waiting for those selected to accept my
invitation and then much reading thereafter!
After this I then had to read and score (approval or not) the posters that were
submitted on the above subjects. It was a wonderful experience to read what
various researchers had achieved.
I was particularly excited about the outcome of the programme as this was the
first time that the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) had a
plenary on acupuncture by the famous Professor J Han, and this was a most
well attended and received lecture that demonstrated the great interest that
acupuncture has achieved by therapists throughout the world, due to its
success in pain management.
I was then able to collate the topics for the Topical Symposium on
complementary medicine with the acceptance of excellent speakers and those
persons who had performed sound research and had published in peer
reviewed journals – as you will read further on. It was wonderful to have
speakers from the USA, UK and Germany who were able to meld their topics in
alternative medicine together, and this too was a breakthrough of acceptance
by many in the medical profession, judging by the high attendance of the
conference delegates
The congress delegates networked with – and heard from – thousands of the
world’s leading experts on pain as they shared their thoughts, research and
findings on this critical topic.’
CONFERENCE PLENARY SESSIONS
ACUPUNCTURE ANALGESIA: CONSENSUS AND CONTROVERSIES.
(J Han, NeuroSci.Res., Inst., Peking Univ. Hlth.Sci. Ctr, Beijing, China)
Rearch conducted on humans and animal models showed that acupuncture
can suppress pain sensitivity with a slow onset and exponential decay,
suggesting a chemically mediated mechanism. The involvement of endogenous
opioid peptides in acupuncture’s pain killing effect provided a reasonable and
credible mechanistic background. The display of the neural pathways
connecting some key brain regions, as evidenced by modern technologies,
including brain - imaging studies, added considerable weight to the consensus
of the basic research on acupuncture. Instead of manual needling, which is
difficult to replicate, it seems more convenient to use electrical stimulation
(electroacupuncture, EA) to dissect the underlying mechanisms. Thus, while
low-frequency (2Hz) stimulation accelerates the release of enkephalin and Bendorphin, high frequency (100Hz) releases dynorphin, suggesting a
frequency-dependent release of neuropeptides in the central nervous system.
On the clinical trials, while the outcomes of the acupuncture groups are always
better than the null group, they may or may not be superior to the ‘placebo’
group. The challenge for clinical researchers is to separate the physiological
from the psychological components. Research on acupuncture may lead to the
development of a safe, inexpensive, and yet effective way of modulating and
strengthening homeostasis of the body functions.
ANALYSIS AND OUTCOME MEASURES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A 10
YEAR MULTIDISCIPLINARY COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE
OUTPATIENT PROGRAM FPR CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS.
(D.Irnich, Multidisciplinary Pain Ctr., Dept. of Anaesthesiology, Univ. of Munich,
Muenchen, Germany)
Aim of Investigation: To evaluate a multidisciplinary outpatient program in
complementary and alternative medicine (MOCAM) for chronic pain patients
based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Classical Natural
Medicine/Naturopathy (CNM).
Methods: MOCAM consists of a four week outpatient program (phase 1) and a
follow up program (phase 2 and 3). It includes methods of TCM (Acupuncture,
Qigong, Tuina, and Dietetics), CNM (Phytotherapy, Breath therapy, Nutrition,
Imagination, Body awareness) and education seminars (chronic pain, pain
treatment, life style according to TCM and CMN) Emphasis is placed upon
reinforcing patient confidence, self- understanding and self-responsibility.
Outcome measures included pain intensity, health related quality of life (SF36),
disability (PDI), return to work and number of doctor visits. Credibility of
treatment and motivation (pain stages of change) were also evaluated.
Results: 281 patients suffering from chronic pain were included. Mean
duration of pain was 110 months. All outcome measures were significantly
improved (t-test, P< 0.001) immediately and 2 years after completion of the 4
– week program compared to baseline. The credibility scale showed high
values, motivation was a weak predictor.
Conclusion: Complementary and Alternative Medicine can be an effective part
of a multimodal treatment approach for chronic pain.
POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE
SPECTOGRAPHY AND THEIR APPLICATION IN TRANSLATIONAL ACUPUNCTURE
RESEARCH IN FIBROMYALGIA.
(R.Harris, Chr.Pain and Fatigue Res., Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA)
Acupuncture has been in use for centuries to treat pain symptoms. However
recent randomised controlled trials of acupuncture in chronic pain disorders
have largely shown mixed findings. This is true for fibromyalgia (FM), a
common functional pain disorder. Modern neuroimaging techniques such as
positron emission tomography (PET) and proton magnetic resonance
spectography (H-MRS) may provide insights into functional brain
neurochemistry and the mechanism(s) underlying how pain patients respond
to acupuncture. We performed two separate studies, one with PET and the
other with H-MRS, wherein 23 FM participants were randomised to receive
either nine acupuncture or nine non-skin penetrating sham acupuncture
interventions over 4 weeks. Following acupuncture, PET revealed significant
increases in mu-opioid receptor binding availability within the thalamus,
cingulated, amygdala, caudate, putamen and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex
(all p<0.05 corrected). Acupuncture also resulted in decreases in glutamate
levels within the posterior insula as assessed with H-MRS (p=0.03). These
changes in opioid receptor binding and glutamate levels were largely absent in
the sham group. These data suggest that acupuncture alters excitatory and
inhibitory neurotransmitter systems in fibromyalgia patients. Furthermore
they have implications on interpretation of acupuncture clinical trials.
SYSTEMIC REVIEWS OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS OF
ACUPUNCTURE FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, HEADACHES AND
OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE.
(M. Cummings, British Med. Acupuncture Society, London United Kingdom)
Over the last ten years we have seen a surprising number of large clinical trials
of acupuncture in chronic pain conditions published in high impact journals.
This has resulted principally from three large research programmes conducted
in Germany since October 2000, which investigated the efficacy, effectiveness,
cost effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment (‘Modellvorhaben
Akupuntur’). These programmes included some of the largest RCT’s of
acupuncture ever performed – some were sham controlled, and some included
conventional care arms. These trials have, for the most part, now been
included in systematic reviews of acupuncture, and we can now start to make
definitive recommendations to healthcare purchasers. However, there are still
important questions to address over the interpretation of the research data,
particularly how we address the very small benefits of acupuncture over
penetrating sham procedures, and the substantial effects of the same sham
procedures in comparison with usual care or the best conventional care.
(Dr Cummings proceeded by reviewing the latest met-analyses and the largest
RCT’s of acupuncture in chronic low back pain, headaches and osteo-arthritis
of the knee).
~
The application of acupuncture in central sensitisation in
neuropathic pain
The following is a summary of Phyllis Berger’s excellent talk given at the
Acupuncture in Physiotherapy Group of the South African Society of
Physiotherapy Annual General Meeting at the end of March.
The talk was entitled ‘She commenced by giving a detailed description of the
epidemiology of neuropathic pain and elucidated the meanings of sensitisation
and, particularly, centralisation. She then went on to give some clinical
syndromes contributing to central sensitisation examples being, rheumatoid
arthritis, osteo-arthritis, tempero-mandibular joint dysfunction, various
musculo-skeletal dysfunctions – post whiplash, shoulder impingement
syndromes, unilateral epicondylalgia, chronic radiating low back pain, chronic
regional pain syndrome, post surgical pain and visceral pain, hypersensitivity
syndromes eg irritable bowel syndrome, cardiac chest pain, chronic
pancreatitis, endometriosis, chronic prostatitis and vulvodynia.
The treatment strategy for the above is:
*Reduce anxiety, stress, depression and improve mood.
*Create endorphins locally and centrally.
*Decrease inflammation locally and centrally.
*Improve the immune system.
*Reduce activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
*Block aberrant nerve conduction locally and centrally.
*Improve circulation.
*Improve Quality of Life.
She the posed the question: WHAT DOES ACUPUNCTURE DO TO THE BODY?
(Quoting as reference: Acupuncture Analgesia: Areas of consensus and
controversy. JS Han, Pain 2011, 152)
*Acupuncture involves the peripheral sensory nerves and the afferent nerve
pathway in the Spinal Cord.
*Local trauma induced by a needle produces local adenosine, a
neuromodulator with anti-nociceptive properties; this was released in
experiments on mice (Goldman, Chen, Fujita et al 2010)
*Adenosine interacts with the A1 receptor located on nearby afferent nerves,
interfering with the local transmission of nociceptive signals – reducing
inflammatory and neuropathic pain behaviour.
*Acupuncture analgesia is mediated mainly by A-beta fibres and part of A-delta
fibres.
*The Gate Control Theory of stimulating the thick A-beta fibres to suppress the
thin fibre transmission is relevant to both acupuncture and TENS.
*Acupuncture’s analgesic effect can reach distant sites – eg electroacupuncture on distal body parts can effectively treat tension type headache
*Non-segmental acupoints can be as effective as segmental points eg St36 for
suppressing post-operative wound pain (eg after Caesarean).
*Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control (DNIC) – high intensity stimulation is
required for activation of C-fibres.
*The analgesic effects of acupuncture (opioidergic) can be reversed with
naloxone.
*2Hz electrical stimulation releases endorphins and enkephalins; 100 Hz
favours dynorphins; combining these frequencies may have an increased
analgesic effect.
~
SHORT EXTRACTS FROM RECENT ACUPUNCTURE JOURNALS
Acupuncture reduces crying in infants with infantile colic
Conclusion: Minimal acupuncture shortened the duration and reduced the
intensity of crying in infants with colic – further research using different
acupoints, needle techniques and intervals between treatments is required.
The procedure: The infants allocated to have acupuncture received minimal,
standardised acupuncture with a sterilised disposable needle (0.20 x 13 mm)
which was inserted unilaterally to a depth of 2 mm at point LI4 of the hand’s
first dorsal interosseous muscle, a point often used in clinical practice when
treating infants with colic. Left and right hands were used alternately. The
programme consisted of a total of six bi-weekly visits to the acupuncture clinic.
(Reference: Kajsa Landgre, Nina Kvorning, Inger Hallstrom: Acupuncture
reduces crying in infants with infantile colic: a randomised, controlled, blind
clinical study. Acupuncture in Medicine, December 2010, P174-179).
Acupuncture for Endometriosis pain.
Conclusion: Two groups of patients with endometriosis pain were compared,
each received two series of 10 acupuncture treatments, twice a week over a
period of five weeks. The two groups were then crossed over.
Group 1 (n=47) received real acupuncture during the first series and Group 2
(n=54) received non- specific acupuncture.
The real acupuncture group were needled at points BL32, ST29, ST36, CV3, SP6
plus up to three extra points according to traditional diagnosis – LR3, LR8, SP9
and 10 and KI10. Deqi was elicited and needles were stimulated manually or
heated with moxa. The control group received needling at ‘non specific’ points
namely PC9, GB31, LU1 and ST8, with no needle stimulation.
Results were obtain from 83 of the 101 participants in the study–the real
acupuncture group showed a significant reduction of pain intensity after the
first ten treatments but group 2 patients showed significant pain relief after
the crossover to real acupuncture.
(Reference: Rubi-Klein K, Kucera-Sliutz E, Nissel H. et al: Is acupuncture in
addition to conventional medicine effective in pain treatment for
endometriosis? A randomised, controlled cross-over trial. Eur.J. Obstet
Gynecol Reprod Biol, 2010: 153: 90-93.)
The effect of acupuncture on postmenopausal symptoms
(including hot flushes)
Conclusion: Acupuncture was effective in reducing menopausal complaints
when compared to sham acupuncture and can be considered as an alternative
therapy in treatment of menopausal symptoms.
The acupuncture group received traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture
twice a week for a total of 10 sessions. Sterile, disposable needles of 0.25 x 25
mm were used. The needles were inserted bilaterally at four acupuncture
points (ST36, depth 1 cun, LI4, 0.5 cun, KI3, 0.2 cun and LR3, 0.3 cun) in
addition extra point HN3 at 0.1 cun depth and CV3, 0.5 cun. Deqi sensation
was obtained initially with manual stimulation and needles left in situ for 20
minutes without any manual or electrical stimulation.
Sham acupuncture was performed on the sham group twice a week for a total
of ten sessions.
(Reference: The effect of acupuncture on postmenopausal symptoms and
reproductive hormones: a sham controlled clinical trial. Didem Suay, Muruvvet
Ozdiken, Huseyin Arsian, Ali Seven Yalcin Aral. Acupuncture in Medicine March
2011, p27-31).
~
FINALLY SOME EXTRACTS FROM BRITISH NEWSPAPERS
From the International Express May 10 2011:
Uproar as we pay to cure a hooligan with acupuncture
A teenage thug, who refuses to go to school and is branded ‘Satan’ by his
mother, is having acupuncture therapy paid for by the taxpayer.
The boy was described by police as ‘one boy wave of terror’ at the age of 12
when he became one of the youngest people in Britain to be given an ASBO
(Antisocial behaviour order), his misbehaviour being stealing cars and throwing
stones!
Now, two years later and with his behaviour out of control, social workers have
decided to try acupuncture in a bid to ‘calm him down’
Hull City Council has refused to reveal the cost to taxpayer of the boy’s
treatment, but experts said that the average cost to the city was 40 pounds )
for a 45 minute session of acupuncture. A spokesman for the Tax Payers
Alliance said ‘Taxpayers will be astounded to learn that they are paying for
acupuncture for this tearaway – his parents should be doing more to control
him’
The boy’s jobless mother admitted that the treatment was having little long
term effect, but said that her son loves the acupuncture – he is a lot calmer
when he walks out after the sessions, but she said the benefit was short lived.
She said there was nothing she could do to change her son’s behaviour and
blamed the police for being ‘too soft’ on her son.
The Head of Hull City Council’s City Safe Department said ‘We consider all
options available from a range if in-house services to determine which will best
suited to people’s individual needs’
(Comment by Charles: Hull is in East Yorkshire, England, where I was born and
brought up – being a normal boy I was given to ‘mischief’ at times but nothing
like the young fellow quoted above. My punishment was a smack by my
father’s large hand or a cane from the headmaster at grammar school; both
across my backside which definitely made me behave! Thinking about it in, the
light of the above case, perhaps the sudden application of force to my backside
stimulated the acupoints on the Urinary Bladder meridian thus causing good
behaviour – for a while anyway!).
~
ANXIETY PROTEIN THAT HOLDS KEY TO A CURE FOR STRESS
Scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of stress
It could lead to new treatments for the one in three people who suffer from
stress disorders and depression. Also it could help to explain why some people
seem to suffer from anxiety more easily than others.
The British team has found that the brain releases an ‘anxiety protein’ when
exposed to stress. Levels of this protein neuropsin appear to dictate how we
react to such situations. The researchers believe that targeting it or the gene
that produces it could manipulate how we respond to stress and people with
conditions it causes.
In severe cases stress can lead to long term damage, problems with depression
and post-traumatic stress.
The lead scientist from the University of Leicester said ‘Stress related disorders
affect a large percentage of the population and generate an enormous
personal, social and economic impact’.
It was previously known that certain individuals are more susceptible to
detrimental effects of stress than others.
Although the majority of us experience traumatic events, only some develop
stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorders. The reasons for this were not clear’.
The research, reported in the journal Nature, showed that a part of the brain
that controls emotional responses, called the amygdala, reacts to stress by
boosting levels of neuropsin. This in turn triggers a series of chemical events
that causes the amygdala to increase activity. Neuropsin interacted with two
cell membrane proteins to activate a specific gene that regulated stress
response. Further work revealed a link between neuropsin pathway and the
way mice behaved in a maze. Stressed animals stayed away from open,
illuminated zones in the maze where they felt exposed and unsafe. But when
their amygdala proteins were blocked, either by drugs or gene manipulation,
the mice appeared to become immune to stress.
It was concluded that the activity of neuropsin and its partners may determine
vulnerability to stress – it is known that all members of the neuropsin pathway
are present in the human brain. Therefore they may play a similar role in
humans and further research will be necessary to examine the potential of
intervention therapies for controlling stress-induced behaviour.
The discovery opens a new possibility for prevention and treatment of stressrelated psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress
disorder (this is disorder condition of severe anxiety after exposure to a very
stressful event). Many people suffer from frequent ‘flashbacks; of the event
and may suffer from sleep problems and anger. However many people suffer
with other forms of stress, caused by problems ranging from money worries to
fears about job security and family rows. Although these might not seem major
concerns, they can cause people to suffer from sleepless nights, weight loss,
panic attacks and eventually depression. It appears that the number of
prescriptions for common anti-depressants has risen sharply in the UK.
Charities have suggested that it might be linked to fears over the economy or
the fact that people with depression remain on medication for longer.
~
THE NASAL SPRAY THAT CAN TACKLE DEPRESSION IN JUST TWO HOURS
A nasal spray could be a new way to tackle depression and anxiety. The spray,
based on a natural brain chemical, could be effective within two hours,
compared to several days for some of the most widely used anti-depressant
drugs.
The liquid is released at the top of the inner nose and is designed to penetrate
the brain areas involved in mood.
A clinical trial is now under way looking at the feasibility of the treatment.
Researchers say future studies could look at the effects of brain chemicals in
patients with other psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress
disorder.
It is estimated that one in four women and one in ten men will require
treatment for depression at some time in their lives.
One of the downsides of anti-depressant pills is that they can take a long time
to work – between two to eight weeks!
In a trial at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, researchers are
investigating the use of a nose spray containing a brain chemical called
neuropeptide. These are chemicals used by nerve cells in the brain to
communicate with each other. Some of the chemicals and one in particular –
neuropeptide Y – is thought to be involved in how the brain regulates
behaviour and mood. This compound is the most abundant peptide in the
human brain, and is found in nerve fibres alongside another chemical called
norepinephrine, which is thought to be involved in regulating mood and
anxiety.
Previous research has also shows that stress leads to the release of the
chemical and a recent study by University of Michigan researchers, published
in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that people who have a genetic
predisposition to have low neuropeptide levels may be at higher risk of
developing depression. However though research has suggested that
neuropeptide Y may be effective for treating psychiatric disorders; there may
have been problems in moving the compound into the brain. This is mainly
because it is a large molecule, and has difficulty passing through the bloodbrain barrier which protects the brain from potentially harmful compounds in
the blood. However nasal sprays can overcome this problem – the upper part
of the nose is like a back door into the brain, because the nerves involved in
smell provide a pathway straight into the central nervous system.
The new trial, which involves 15 volunteers aged 25 to 45, is designed to
investigate how well the spray and neuropeptide Y work in the brain, and the
effects will be compared with a placebo.
Researchers, who expect results in about two months, use an extra-powerful
device to get the liquid as high as possible in the nose, into the area at the very
top which is rich in nerves used for detecting smells.
Commenting on the research, a spokesman from the mental health charity
MIND says ‘This research is at an early stage and it remains to be seen whether
this trial will lead to a new treatment. It is important to recognise that
alternative approaches to anti-depressants, such as talking therapies and
exercise can also have positive results.
(Comments on the above by Charles: It is all very interesting but where does
acupuncture come in? In her book ‘Acupuncture in Physiotherapy’ Val
Hopwood, who runs the Masters course in Acupuncture at the University of
Coventry, UK, gives the acupuncture points and TCM description for
depression as follows:
Pe6 Neiguan –For apprehension, fear, fright and sadness
Ht7 Shenmen – For fear and fright – calms the spirit
Sp6 Sanyinjiao - calms the spirit, aids insomnia due to Heart and Spleen Qi Xu
Liv3 Taichong – Clears the head and eyes and activates Qi and blood
throughout the body.
St40 Fenglong – Clears Phlegm from the Heart and calms the spirit. Used in
manic depression.
St36 Zusanli – Calms the spirit, aids insomnia due to Heart and Spleen Xi Xu
Ren 12 Zhongwan – Harmonises the middle Jiao, eliminates Phlegm and Wind)
(Incidentally Val Hopwood’s latest book ‘Acupuncture in neurological
conditions’ received a favourable review by David Mayor in the December
2010 edition of Acupuncture in Medicine. The book is co-authored by Clare
Donnellan and published by Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh (2010), 232
pages, ISBN 976-0-7020-3020-8. Price £39.99.
(I often refer to Val’s earlier book ‘Acupuncture in Physiotherapy’, mentioned
above, to which gives comprehensive information on acupuncture from both
the modern and TCM points of view especially for use by physiotherapists.
(Published by Butterworth/Heinemann in 2004)
SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Could your daily routine be ruining your health? We all know that smoking,
drinking and bingeing on junk food are behaviours to avoid if we want to keep
fit – but an increasing amount of research is emerging to suggest other
seemingly benign habits could also be bad for us. This is a report in Scottish
Daily Mail, April 26, 2011. Here are some of the ‘sins’:
Showering every day: The modern pre-occupation with personal hygiene could
be to the detriment of our skin, according to Dr Nick Lowe, consultant
dermatologist at the Cranley Clinic in London.
‘Most people wash too much, ‘he says. ‘Using piping hot water combined with
harsh soaps can strip the skin of its oils, resulting in dryness, cracking and even
infection. For the majority of us, there is no need to have a thorough wash
every day’
If the prospect of skipping a daily shower horrifies you, at least make sure you
wash with cooler water, he says. If you have a tendency to dry skin, use a soapfree shower gel or aqueous cream – an emulsifying ointment containing
paraffin oils, water and preservative that can replace soap.
Sleeping eight hours a night: The notion of getting eight hours of solid sleep
each night is a ‘modern convention’ that could leave you feeling more tired,
says Professor Jim Horne, of Loughborough University Sleep Research Centre.
‘We’ve evolved to have very flexible sleep patterns and fragmented sleep –
including daytime napping – which can be of real benefit’ he says. ‘A short four
to fifteen minute ‘power nap’ can be as effective as an extra hour at night.
He explains that hundreds of years ago, dividing up daily sleep was
commonplace. ‘People would have what they called “fyrste sleep” of around
two hours in the early evening, followed by supper and lively interactions with
their family and friends, followed by bedtime around midnight, then three to
four hours of uninterrupted sleep, before prayers and rekindling the fire, then
another couple of hours sleep until dawn, making a total of around seven
hours of daily sleep.
He adds: ‘This modern notion that waking in the middle of the night is a bad
thing can actually be destructive to the quality of our sleep. For instance we
wake at 3am and lie there becoming anxious about not sleeping, whereas we
should simply get up and occupy our minds with something distracting but
relaxing – such as doing a jigsaw or reading a book – until our bodies tell us we
are ready to sleep again. He added ‘ If cavemen had slept through the entire
night they’d have been eaten alive.’
Sitting on the loo: modern toilets are bad for us, suggests research. A study
published by Israeli scientists in the journal ‘Digestive Diseases and Sciences’
revealed that squatting instead of sitting is a more natural position, and
requires less straining. This in turn reduces the risk of bowel problems such as
haemorrhoids and diverticular disease, both of which cause painful swellings in
the gut. Dr Charles Murray, consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Free
Hospital in London says ‘that for the majority of us opening our bowels is one
of those things we don’t often think about but it is actually a complicated
physiological process’
He advises patients who are having trouble with bowel movements to place
something under their feet while seated on the toilet, as this helps to simulate
the squatting position. He explains ‘Placing a six inch footrest under your feet
and leaning forward on a regular sitting toilet may help, and this effect could
be achieved to a lesser extent with toilet rolls placed under the feet. Raising
your feet in this way on a regular basis may well result in shorter visits to the
loo and less straining’.
Relaxing after dinner: We’ve all been there – after a busy day you whip up a
quick supper before relaxing on the sofa for an hour and then head towards
your bed.
‘If you’re inactive during the evening, or you eat just before bed, your body’s
more likely to lay down that food as fat,’ says Claire MacEvilly, nutritionist at
the Human Nutrition Research Laboratory at Cambridge University.
If you shift your calorie intake to the morning, eating a large breakfast instead,
you’re more likely to burn through those reserves by carrying out normal
activity later in the day, she says. ‘But taking a brisk 20 minute walk after
dinner – as you should – means there’s no reason why eating your evening
meal at 8 pm or even 9 pm should make you put on any weight.
The real key to not putting on weight, she says, is regular small meals: ‘Having
a light supper followed by some relaxing exercise is a healthy extension of
that’.
Briefly the other three ‘sins’ are: Rinsing the mouth after brushing teeth:
Reason: Rinsing washes away the protective fluoride coating left by the
toothpaste, which would otherwise add hours of protection (I thought fluoride
was a poison anyway! Charles).
Cleaning: It’s the perfect excuse for unplugging the vacuum cleaner and
abandoning the washing up – housework can actually be bad for your health
according to research published earlier in 2011 in the USA. The strongest link
with high blood pressure came from worries over how to get domestic chores
such as cooking, cleaning and shopping done. Apparently it is not the workload
itself but the stress about how to cope with it that causes the damage. In
addition the use of household cleaning products could increase the risk of
developing asthma. Research carried out in Spain shows that using cleaning
sprays and air fresheners as little as once a week could be contributing to as
many as one in seven cases of adult asthma. The risk of developing asthma
increased with the frequency of cleaning and the number of sprays used.
Breathing wrongly: As physios. We all know about this – this item mentions
that many people do not use the lower parts of their lungs when breathing – it
goes on to explain how practising ‘proper’ breathing can have a huge beneficial
effect – it can help combat stress and even lower blood pressure.
(This is all for this edition – would all member countries of IAAPT please send
their reports and interesting case histories for publication in the next edition.
Best wishes to all – Charles Liggins - Editor)
Please use the WCPT/IAAPT forum to stay in touch too! - Val